Thousands of Zamfara State students can now access their long-withheld examination results after Governor Dauda Lawal settled outstanding debts owed to national examination bodies, ending years of uncertainty for affected candidates.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) have released results that were withheld for periods ranging from 2014 to 2022 due to the non-payment of examination fees by previous state administrations.

According to a statement released on Saturday by the Governor's spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the state government has paid ₦1.4 billion to WAEC and over ₦320 million to NECO as part of a total debt exceeding ₦2.7 billion.

"This is part of the government's emergency measures to revive education in Zamfara," the statement explained, highlighting that the intervention has enabled thousands of students to finally access their results after years of waiting.

NECO has confirmed receipt of partial payment and agreed to release withheld results from 2014 to 2018, with full settlement expected according to a structured payment plan established by the current administration.

The development comes after Zamfara State declared a state of emergency in its education sector in November 2023. Since then, the Lawal administration has implemented several reforms, including the renovation of over 500 schools and the launch of teacher retraining initiatives.

The governor's intervention has also ensured that public school students in the state participated in the 2024 WAEC examinations after missing the 2023 edition due to unpaid fees by the previous administration.

Education stakeholders have welcomed this development, noting that the withheld results had prevented many students from pursuing higher education or employment opportunities that required verified credentials.